Another five U.S.-built locomotives arrive in Ukraine

Ukraine's state-run railways operator, JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, says five more locomotives built by U.S. GE Transportation's Pennsylvania-based plant have arrived at Ukraine's port of Chornomorsk.

As was the case with 15 previously delivered U.S. locomotives, the five will be sent to Ukraine's Kremenchuk-based PJSC Kryukivsky Railway Car Building Works for final assembly.

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"Under the contract, the first batch of TE33A Evolution Series diesel locomotives from General Electric consists of 30 units. Thus, a total of 20 locomotives, including those delivered today, have already been supplied to Ukraine," Ukrzaliznytsia's press service said in a statement on November 20.

As reported, the locomotives are now undergoing certification, carried out by Ukraine's Railway Car Building Research Institute.

Ukrzaliznytsia plans to use the new rolling stock for the Melitopol, Mykolaiv and Mariupol routes.

In particular, 10 new locomotives will service the Mykolaiv route until the electrification of the Dolynska-Mykolaiv railroad section is completed.

"Another five locomotives are to be used at the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi-Izmail section," the press service added.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrzaliznytsia signed a framework agreement with General Electric on the supply of up to 225 locomotives worth US$1 billion to Ukraine. Under the contract, the local content share is set up to 40%.

At the first stage of the deal, a purchase and sale contract was signed between General Electric and Ukreximbank for the delivery of 30 GE TE33AC diesel locomotives late in 2018 and early in 2019 with the local content share being 10%.

On November 8, Ukrzaliznytsia tested the first General Electric diesel locomotive in a freight train at the Kremenchuk-Romodan railroad section.

Ukrzaliznytsia will pay $4.68 million per GE locomotive of the first batch.